CTK 2011 – 2010 WPIAL Class AAAA Football Flashback

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 | 3:42 PM

It had been two decades since one of the WPIAL Class AAAA's top football programs had won a district championship. However that drought ended when North Allegheny captured gold by beating the 2009 champion Woodland Hills Wolverines in the WPIAL finals at Heinz Field. Three weeks later, the Tigers captured a second PIAA football crown to go along with the 1990 state championship they won. Here is a look back at the WPIAL Class AAAA in 2010.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM WPIAL CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL IN 2010:

* The PIAA Class AAAA championship for North Allegheny was the first for a District 7 Quad A school in three years. However the golden football marked the fifth time in seven years that the WPIAL champion in the state's largest classification won a PIAA title as well. Pittsburgh Central Catholic turned the golden double play in 2004 and 2007, while McKeesport won in 2005 and Upper St. Clair in 2006.

* While there has always been very good football played in the Northern Seven Conference, which was formerly known as the Quad North. However the North Allegheny championship was the first title for a northern Quad A school since New Castle won it all in 1997. It also was the first championship for a current Northern Seven Conference since a freshman named LaVar Arrington led North Hills to the 1993 title.

* It was strange not seeing George Smith on the sidelines at McKeesport High School. Jim Ward drew the tough task of taking over for the long time Tigers coach and he did so with bookend losses surrounding plenty of wins and a conference title. McKeesport lost their first game under Coach Ward to Steubenville before ripping off eight straight wins, including the regular season finale over Gateway which gave the 'Port a Foothills Conference championship. However their second loss came in the opening round of the playoffs as they were bounced by the 13th-seed Bethel Park Black Hawks 24-21.

* Two once proud Class AAAA program continued to struggle in 2010. It was another 0-9 season for Butler as the Golden Tornado have now lost 23 straight and have not made it to the WPIAL playoffs since 1998. The news was not all that bad for Connellsville. Yes, the Falcons finished in the basement of the Foothills Conference, but in the final week of the regular season, they were able to snap an ugly 34 game losing streak. The 42-0 whitewash of the Valley Vikings was the Falcons first since the 2007 season opener when Connellsville edged Uniontown 28-26.

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2010 WPIAL CLASS AAAA FINAL STANDINGS:
# = Conference Champion
* = Playoff Berth…
x = Missed Postseason

Foothills Conference:

#-McKeesport Tigers : (6-0) – (8-2)
*-Gateway Gators : (5-1) – (6-5)
*-Norwin Knights : (4-2) – (5-5)
*-Penn-Trafford Warriors : (3-3) – (4-6)
x-Latrobe Wildcats : (2-4) – (5-4)
x-Hempfield Spartans : (1-5) – (1-8)
x-Connellsville Falcons : (0-6) – (1-8)

Big East Conference:

#-Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings : (6-0) – (11-1)
*-Woodland Hills Wolverines : (5-1) – (9-3)
*-Penn Hills Indians : (4-2) – (5-5)
*-Plum Mustangs : (3-3) – (6-4)
x-Kiski Area Cavaliers : (2-4) – (2-7)
x-Fox Chapel Foxes : (1-5) – (1-8)
x-Altoona Mountain Lions : (0-6) – (0-9)

Great Southern Conference:

#-Mount Lebanon Blue Devils : (5-0) – (10-1)
*-Upper St. Clair Panthers : (4-1) – (8-3)
*-Peters Township Indians : (2-3) – (5-5)
*-Bethel Park Black Hawks : (2-3) – (5-6)
x-Baldwin Highlanders : (2-3) – (3-6)
x-Canon-McMillan Big Macs : (0-5) – (1-8)

Northern Seven Conference:

#-North Hills Indians : (5-1) – (10-2)
#-North Allegheny Tigers : (5-1) – (11-1)
*-Erie McDowell Trojans : (4-2) – (7-3)
*-Pine-Richland Rams : (3-3) – (3-7)
x-Shaler Titans : (3-3) – (5-4)
x-Seneca Valley Raiders : (1-5) – (3-6)
x-Butler Golden Tornado : (0-6) – (0-9)

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2010 WPIAL CLASS AAAA PLAYOFFS:
(all games (MSA) are archived at msasports.net)

2010 WPIAL CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP:

North Allegheny Tigers 21 – Woodland Hills Wolverines 14 (MSA)

WPIAL CLASS AAAA SEMIFINALS:

North Allegheny Tigers 17 – Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 7 (MSA)

Woodland Hills Wolverines 24 – North Hills Indians 14 (MSA)

WPIAL CLASS AAAA QUARTERFINALS:

Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 10 – Gateway Gators 0 (MSA)

North Allegheny Tigers 23 – Bethel Park Black Hawks 13 (MSA)

Woodland Hills Wolverines 29 – Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 22 in Overtime (MSA)

North Hills Indians 16 – Upper St. Clair Panthers 14 (MSA)

WPIAL CLASS AAAA FIRST ROUND:

Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 37 – Pine-Richland Rams 10 (MSA)

Gateway Gators 37 – Erie McDowell Trojans 21 (MSA)

Bethel Park Black Hawks 24 – McKeesport Tigers 21 (MSA)

North Allegheny Tigers 38 – Peters Township Indians 7 (MSA)

Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 35 – Plum Mustangs 14 (MSA)

Woodland Hills Wolverines 45 – Norwin Knights 7 (MSA)

North Hills Indians 20 – Penn-Trafford Warriors 3 (MSA)

Upper St. Clair Panthers 37 – Penn Hills Indians 21 (MSA)

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2010 PIAA CLASS AAAA PLAYOFFS:
(all games with (MSA) are archived at msasports.net)

2010 PIAA CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 21 – LaSalle College Explorers 0 (MSA)

PIAA CLASS AAAA SEMIFINALS:

NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 35 – Cumberland Valley Eagles 17 (MSA)

LaSalle College Explorers 38 – North Penn Knights 35

PIAA CLASS AAAA QUARTERFINALS:

NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 21 – State College Little Lions 6 (MSA)

District 3 Championship – Cumberland Valley Eagles 45 – Red Lion Lions 6

District 1 Championship – North Penn Knights 42 – Neshaminy Redskins 6

LaSalle College Explorers 19 – Easton Red Rovers 7

PIAA CLASS AAAA FIRST ROUND:

WPIAL Championship – NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 21 – WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES 14 (MSA)

State College Little Lions 35 – PERRY COMMODORES 26 (MSA)

District 3 Semifinals – Red Lion Lions 14 – Daniel Boone Blazers 0

District 3 Semifinals – Cumberland Valley Eagles 28 – Central Dauphin Rams 7

District 1 Semifinals – North Penn Knights 28 – Council Rock South Golden Hawks 14

District 1 Semifinals – Neshaminy Redskins 33 – Bayard Rustin Golden Knights 7

District 12 Championship – LaSalle College Explorers 35 – Northeast Catholic Falcons 0

District 11 Championship – Easton Red Rovers 13 – Whitehall Zephyrs 10
 

Tags: Altoona, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Butler, Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Erie McDowell, Fox Chapel, Gateway, Hempfield, Kiski School, Latrobe, McKeesport, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills